The Decameron VS The Canterbury Tales
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Topic: The Decameron VS The Canterbury Tales
Posted By: The Quiet One
Subject: The Decameron VS The Canterbury Tales
Date Posted: August 22 2010 at 20:50
| Both classic Medieval literature, though I haven't read either yet. I'm sure lots of Prog fans have read both, let's see which one do prog fans prefer. |
Replies:
Posted By: SaltyJon
Date Posted: August 22 2010 at 21:42
I like what I've read of the Canterbury Tales more than what I've read of the Decameron, though I haven't read everything from both. No vote until I do (so I may never vote  )
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Salty_Jon" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: The Quiet One
Date Posted: August 22 2010 at 21:49
And maybe nobody will vote
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SaltyJon wrote:Posted By: Triceratopsoil
Date Posted: August 22 2010 at 22:09
| Like Jon, I've only read bits of each. The Canterbury Tales is hilarious, though |
Posted By: SaltyJon
Date Posted: August 22 2010 at 22:10
Well if there are no votes by tomorrow when I get on here I'll vote for Canterbury Tales.  ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Salty_Jon" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: thellama73
Date Posted: August 24 2010 at 08:30
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I've read bits and pieces of the Canterbury Tales, but I have not yet got around to the Decameron, although it is on my (very long) list of books to read.No vote for me. ------------- 
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Posted By: harmonium.ro
Date Posted: August 24 2010 at 08:54
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Very tough! I wouldn't be able to give an "objective" vote, they're both major masterpieces, so I'll vote for the Decameron because it gets dirty very often  |
Posted By: SaltyJon
Date Posted: August 24 2010 at 09:42
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I realize I didn't vote the day I said I would, but since I've been reminded of the thread I'll do so now, in favor of the Canterbury Tales (because I enjoyed what I've read of them more, plus...it's Canterbury!)
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Salty_Jon" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Henry Plainview
Date Posted: August 24 2010 at 12:54
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I've only read parts of each, but the Decameron offended me so Canterbury wins, and Chaucer's rhyming is too badass to lose. If you're wondering what could offend me, it was Day 3 Tale 10. I was the only person in my English class who didn't think it was funny for a monk to rape a 14 year old girl, which kind of upset me. This was also around the time Polanski was arrested in Switzerland, so you can imagine how angry I got when one of the girls in the class said "But she liked it!" so obviously it's ok. I'll admit that as a Catholic I'm also more sensitive to this subject, but in that moment I suddenly saw why all the feminists complain about "rape culture". The girls also got mad at me when I said that, in some story I can't remember the name of, a princess was being melodramatic when she killed herself because her father killed her lover and sent his heart to her in a cup because he didn't approve of him for some reason. I guess in Community College you don't get the most level headed people. The only other thing I remember about the story is that he snuck into her room through a thorn patch and a secret passageway, so I unfortunately don't really have any way of locating it.
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Posted By: Vompatti
Date Posted: August 24 2010 at 12:59
I don't read such filth and frankly I'm quite shocked that so many of you do. 
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Posted By: harmonium.ro
Date Posted: August 25 2010 at 18:16
Just a nuance: a 14 year old wasn't a "girl" any more at that time (Middle Ages & Renaissance). They were considered women and they often got married at 14 or even 13. Some of the most paradigmatic characters of erotic literature are of that age - like Juliet from "Romeo and Juliet"; Petrarch's Laura was a woman married at 15, and Dante's Beatrice was a girl he only saw twice in his life, first (and most important) when she was 8 and second when she was 17. He worshiped all his life a little girl... BTW Dante's was formally married when he was 12. |
Posted By: Henry Plainview
Date Posted: August 26 2010 at 22:50
| Well yes, they had different conceptions of maturity then, but it was still rape, and I am narrowminded and intolerant so I don't think old men marrying 13 year olds is OK just because their society said it was OK. Romeo and Juliet doesn't count because they were both 14. I agree that the Beatrice poems are creepy, but he was only a year older than her and he knew her her whole life after 8, just not well enough to warrant all those peoms. His love was also as deliberately non-sexual as possible. The lack of sexuality is pretty much the whole point, because she's like a beautiful glass flower that he can never touch for fear of leaving fingerprints. |
Posted By: harmonium.ro
Date Posted: August 27 2010 at 06:33
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I don't remember about the rape, I never re-read the book after a very early read (I was probably 11 or 12). So I am just pointing out that it's a different situation than what we now think of as a statutory rape. Your enjoyment of old texts depends on the moral values of the characters as compared to our contemporary values? Hmm, that must spoil some great ones for you. |
Posted By: jammun
Date Posted: August 31 2010 at 22:21
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I've got a copy of The Decameron somewheres downstairs. Better read it. In the meantime, Chaucer's Tales are good enough for me. I'll be happy to post many many undergrad papers written w/r/t them. ------------- Can you tell me where we're headin'? Lincoln County Road or Armageddon. |